Neon Jungle impress with debut album Welcome To The Jungle The latest girlband on the block show theres more to their talents than speaker-blasting EDM on confident first studio effort. Despite scoring an impressive three consecutive UK Top 20 hits, the latest girlband on the block, Neon Jungle, still seem to be a fairly anonymous proposition. Thats perhaps due to their speaker-blasting club-friendly sound, which although utterly anthemic, could easily be mistaken for any number of faceless EDM acts who have emerged in the wake of Guetta, Harris et al. However, their debut album, Welcome To The Jungle, suggests that theres more to Shereen, Amira Jess and Asami than the filthy basslines, down and dirty synths and turbo-charged beats of their early run of singles. Indeed, skyscraping power ballad Louder looks like adding to their tally of chart entries this weekend, but the majestic cover version of hotly-tipped newcomer Banks gloom-pop torch song, Waiting Game, and the dramatic closer Fool Me also both prove that beneath the quartets brash exterior, theres also some powerhouse vocal talent. Elsewhere, Sleepless In London is a tale of heartbreak in the capital set to a backdrop of shimmering synths and lovelorn piano chords, So Alive echoes the playful self-described Tumblr-pop of its co-writer Charli XCX, while Cant Stop The Love is a twinkling R&B affair featuring emerging Aussie-American rapper Snob Scrilla. Neon Jungles explosive first few releases, therefore, certainly dont paint the whole picture. But for those who prefer the group at their most in-yer-face, then the chaotic blend of rave riffs, helium vocal samples and hypeman chants on Bad Man is certainly worthy of joining Trouble, Braveheart and the title track in their canon of hands-in-the-air floorfillers. Welcome To The Jungle, for the most part, is the kind of record that practically begs you to turn up the volume to eleven. But theres also signs that the girls have what it takes to survive once the whole EDM scene loses its shine. @sonymusicmy @joe_prc
Posted on: Fri, 08 Aug 2014 17:41:22 +0000